2002 325i brake-related question

[prowler]

I believe that there's some type of switch behind the brake pedal area. What's it called? Something like a Brake Safety Switch... What's the correct name and direct me to a parts house that sells them. This switch is supposedly causing me to get the auto shifter stuck in park. I was told that there was about a 90% chance that this would fix my problem. Thanks for your help!

[witeshark]

I think it's called the brake interlock switch, for keeping the car in park until the brake is pressed.

[zibby]

There is not switch behind brake pedal,you need a part #1 on diagram below:
RealOEM.com * BMW E46 325i AUTOM.TRANSMISS.STEPTRONIC SHIFT PARTS

[steppro]

im not too sure if thats your problem, if that was the problem then A: your brake lights would be on at all times as a fail safe and B: there is another sensor called a brake pressure sensor that will detect when you push on the brakes....but to be honest i dont have a good answer far ya other than there may be something wrong with the interlock button on the selector lever or something with the linkage....in order to check to see if the brake light switch is ok, turn the key on, press on the brakes and have someone standing behind the car, if the brake lights come on only when you press the pedal, then that should be ok.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by steppro

im not too sure if thats your problem, if that was the problem then A: your brake lights would be on at all times as a fail safe and B: there is another sensor called a brake pressure sensor that will detect when you push on the brakes....but to be honest i dont have a good answer far ya other than there may be something wrong with the interlock button on the selector lever or something with the linkage....in order to check to see if the brake light switch is ok, turn the key on, press on the brakes and have someone standing behind the car, if the brake lights come on only when you press the pedal, then that should be ok.

Thanks for the feedback.

Here's my problem...car's in park, ebrake on, start the car, push the brake pedal, press the button on the shifter and remove from P to D, release the ebrake. That's how it's supposed to work.

This is what happens, however not all of the time. Intermittently, won't happen for days, then it happens once or twice. Same process as above, however the shifter won't come out of the P mode. I have to forcefully pull the shifter out of P and then it goes into N or D, etc. without any problem. I was told that there was some type of switch, etc. that had to be replaced. It's the problem around 90 percent of the time, per the mechanic. Parts and labor would be under $150-200. I wanted to do this myself, yet I don't want to call him and ask him what, how, etc. and not use him. I thought that it would be tacky for me to pick his brain and not pay him for the repair. Hopefully, this will give you folks a better idea about what I'm trying to figure out. Thanks for your patience and feedback.